A public-private partnership could be the answer to skilled autoworkers in the future

Kia team member applying the final touches on a vehicle manufactured by Kia in West Point, Georgia. Kia

In West Point, Georgia, Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) stretches out over 2,200 acres, surrounded by the green fields and deep forests of west Georgia near the Chattahoochee River. The assembly plant is a crown jewel of the area's economic recovery, and it's the home of an innovative partnership that is on track to improve the lives of generations to come in this town of 3,700 and its surrounding communities.

According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, this Kia facility is already directly responsible for the creation of more than 11,700 jobs throughout the past decade in Georgia alone. The plant completed its 2 millionth vehicle earlier this year, and it has continued to pump out one completed vehicle every 53 seconds.

This kind of output requires advanced automation and technology, and it will require different skills from its future workforce. In fact, there's a growing skills gap in the manufacturing sector that could result in as many as 2 million jobs going unfilled in the next decade, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

To fill this gap, Kia formed a public-private partnership with the Troup County school system to found THINC College & Career Academy, located in nearby LaGrange, Georgia.

Training for tomorrow

THINC is a public charter high school program that began offering classes in 2015. In addition to core curriculum and STEM classes, it prepares students to succeed in careers in engineering, mechatronics, energy, healthcare, business, and marketing.

The newest phase of the partnership is the creation of the Power to Surprise Innovation Center. The 30,000 square foot center is home to a newly constructed science, mechatronics, engineering, and math lab. Instructors from career and technology education pathways work side by side with academic instructors in various disciplines, including science, math, and English, and will collaborate to guide students in planning and executing multidisciplinary projects, just as they'll be expected to do in a work environment.

Students with their teacher at THINC Academy. THINC College & Career Academy As an automation vendor to KMMG, Siemens is in full support of KMMG's workforce development initiatives and announced the donation of more than $100,000 of automation hardware for THINC's mechatronics lab, as well as certification and training for its instructors.

With 90% of automotive factories using Siemens automation equipment, and its use by KMMG throughout its stamping and final-assembly operations, Siemens is the perfect partner to provide hands-on training for students in the real-world systems they'll encounter on the job.

"As a steward of training the next generation of manufacturing employees, we need to make experiential learning a greater focus of our education," says Raj Batra, president of Siemens Digital Factory Division in the US. "This is where our partnership with KMMG and THINC is a natural fit."

Soft skills are important too

Manufacturing centers like KMMG's are highly automated and digitized, and they are constantly shifting to meet the demands of customers. Employees must be flexible and learn new skills and processes as Kia continually incorporates new technology to meet continued demand for its popular line-up of sedans and SUVs.

To thrive in the workplace, students also need to learn soft skills such as teamwork, problem solving, communication, and cooperation.

"Those skills are critical for what we're doing at KMMG. The team approach is foundational - and what's helped make KMMG so successful," says Stuart C. Countess, chief administrative officer for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia.

In addition to class work, THINC students have the opportunity to receive mentoring from Siemens and KMMG engineers.

"We are truly combining multiple disciplines in a collaborative, project-based environment," says Kathy Carlisle, THINC's CEO. "There's a passion that comes alive in students when they see the community is behind them and realize the investment of business in creating an education system that's accessible to every student.

"I see us transforming the broader educational system — and the effect will be a full pipeline of candidates for KMMG and other industries to choose from, " says Carlisle.

Batra adds: "From vocational training to workforce employer training, from internships, apprenticeships and soft skills training, to academic and research partnerships, finding a starting point and opening a dialogue is the first step for employers to develop manufacturing careers of the future."